Polyphenylene ether resins are well known in the art and exhibit a desirable combination of chemical, physical and electrical properties over a wide temperature range. This combination of properties renders polyphenylene ether resins suitable for use in a broad range of applications. Often times, polyphenylene ether resins are blended with other resins including various types of polystyrene resins in order to improve the processability or other properties of the polyphenylene ether resins and to increase their fields of application.
For example, the Cizek U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435 discloses blends of polyphenylene ether and one or more styrene resins having improved properties. Additionally, the Lee U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,761 discloses compositions comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a rubber modified polystyrene resin, which compositions provide molded articles having improvements in impact resistance, surface appearance and solvent resistance.
It is also known to blend polyphenylene ether resins with one or more additional additives for improving the processability, moldability and/or other properties of the resins. For example, Japanese Reference No. 60-258252 discloses polyphenylene ether resin compositions having improved moldability and which are prepared by mixing a polyphenylene ether resin with an aromatic compound. The compositions may further include one or more styrene resins.
Owing to the increasing use of polyphenylene ether resin compositions in various applications, there is a continuing demand for polyphenylene ether resin compositions having improved chemical and/or mechanical properties.